Village Manager's Message

Tonight we will present the requests of the Village departments for the 2025 Budget. There are requests for 8 full-time and 10 part-time personnel, several of which are related to the opening of the recreation center. This is in addition to the full-time Deputy Chief position and the 39th police officer added in 2024. That would be an increase of 16.0 FTE since January 1, 2024, if all the positions were approved, but it is unlikely that we will be able to accommodate all the requests.

The Fleet Division of Public Works is proposing to add seven additional leased vehicles to the ten we obtained last year and to add a new bus for the Parks & Recreation Department, which will be the first new bus in the staff’s memory. We are ordering a new bucket truck to arrive in 2025, an ambulance, and a plow truck to arrive in late 2026. Parks is also requesting a new Kubota mower.

The full list of operational and capital requests will be presented at 6:00 pm at what has become an annual budget presentation. This will be televised and open to the public and we welcome attendance and questions. A preliminary draft of the budget will also be available. The budget process is an annual opportunity to plan resources to match our priorities, and we now have a new Strategic Plan to help shape those plans.

This also gives us a chance to see what a tremendously successful year 2024 has been. Perhaps the most publicly praised Village project was the reopened Lufkin Park, especially the splash pad and pavilion. I am blessed with the opportunity to see daily how heavily the park is used. The Board approved the Village to hire a consultant to write an OSLAD grant which we received and along with funds from NEDSRA and the Village taxpayers, we were able to revive the park that had been largely empty for over five years. We also added fourteen vehicles; ten leased vehicles, an additional police vehicle, and a new fire engine. Any day now we should be receiving the tandem axle dump/plow truck that was ordered near the end of 2022.

Last week, we got to cut the ribbon on the new Tri-Trail Connector. It was great to see former Trustee Bob Wagner, who is also a member of several commissions, and Sergeant Tim Walsh being the first official users of the trail, although many residents have already enjoyed it. The final section of the trail will be added during the construction of The Union project.

I also attended the weekly department head meeting and met with them individually, attended a meeting with staff and our attorney to discuss a property on South Villa Avenue, participated in a meeting of the ILCMA Communications Subcommittee, and had several ad hoc meetings to prepare the budget packet for tonight's meeting. View the full weekly report here.

Matt Harline

Village Manager